The 6 Points Music Festival kicked off yesterday, appropriately on the 6th of the month, with shows at three locations around the D.C. area: Staccato in Adams Morgan, Austin Grill in Silver Spring, and a three band line-up that DCist caught last night at Clarendon Grill in Arlington.

Having never seen a show at this venue, I was pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere, but frustrated by a sound issue that persisted throughout the night, which made it very difficult to make out any of the lyrics. Aside from this minor annoyance the night progressed rather positively, as the three acts demonstrated their talents, in order, leaving the best for last.

What do Bruce Springsteen, Incubus’ Brandon Boyd, and Green Day’s Billie Joe have in common? Nothing really, aside from the fact that their names all starting with a “B” and that each of the lead singers that performed last night at Clarendon Grill could be mistaken for one of them vocally. Local bands often pattern themselves after major artists until they make a name for themselves. Last night’s show offered the chance to see these bands try to do just that, with one ultimately standing out from the rest, as they used their musical mind control to send Arlington into a Shane Hines “Trance.”